Mass Effect 2 Complete

Finished the single-player story of Mass Effect 2 last night. I'm really at a loss for words.

I was having a conversation with a friend a couple nights ago, about how there's a certain plausibility that I like about the universe of Mass Effect 2. It feels genuine, everything is explained, and even the science isn't too far removed from what could be possible. You can buy into what they're selling, and I think that makes the events that take place in the universe between the characters that much more impactful. You believe that the character exists, and you can feel sympathy to what is going on with them.

Throw all that out the window in the final mission in Mass Effect 2. Without going into too many details, they break every rule and throw realism out the window. The ending was fun, don't get me wrong, but it was so incredibly outlandish that it seemed I lost the actual Mass Effect 2 somewhere along the way and played the end to some other game that happened to have all the same characters as Mass Effect 2.

There were some great moments, though. Some of the best run-and-gun action with a real reason to hurry, as someone's life depended on you being quick about it. The interpersonal events, the choices that you make, will make you second and third-guess yourself, and that's the game's strong point. I think I can write off the ridiculousness and take hold of the grounding effects of the relationships between the strong characters, the love and loss and shared trials of the cast of great individuals. No matter how implausible or outright silly their task, they accomplished it at great odds and did it together, and that's how I'll remember the game.

Especially because I have no words to explain anything that happened in the story. Seriously, what just happened?

My Thoughts on Mass Effect 2

I picked up Mass Effect 2 yesterday and spent a couple hours playing the intro and beginning sections of the game, and I was blown away by the entire experience.

From the beginning, I imported my character, which game me a bunch of bonuses like starting at level 2, and a lot of resources in the form of bonus credits and research materials. The intro also played according to my choices from the last game, and allowed me to reconfirm some of the actions I took. For example, when recalling memories, I could either confirm the previous game action or remember it differently, and I assume that would actually change the fact for the future of the game. The memory recall really brought a lot of the game back and helped cement your place in the world, and was a great reintroduction to your character and the universe. It's great to feel that the game wraps itself around the decisions you've made and will continue to make.

The gameplay is similarly stellar. I was worried a more shooter-y feel would ruin it, but I really prefer it. Controls are sharper, weapons feel better and more impactful, and the visual cues to damage you give and take are great, from the energy bars displayed to blood spatters and reactions to the force of a grenade or shotgun blast. You really feel like you're doing some damage. Now, I was a little disappointed in the "hide and heal" health mechanic. Similar to Modern Warfare health, if you hide and don't damage, you heal up. When you take damage, you apparently grow really gross red veins around your monitor, like it's alive. Very strange. Can I just have a health bar please? It would make medipacks relevant, which I still haven't used yet.

Apart from the core gameplay, the dialog sessions and mini-games are engaging and engrossing. Being able to meet up again with characters from the past and having a drink with them, or the new renegade and paragon options where you can interrupt conversation with an action really pulls you into the world and puts you in Shephard's shoes. The characters here feel like they bow and bend to your will, like you are some incredible force of gravity that warps the world around you, and that's exactly how you should feel, being the star of a game. Of course the voice acting is top-notch, with Martin Sheen putting in an incredible performance and all the other characters bringing a depth and malice to their roles. I've also had a lot of fun with the hacking games, a kind of pattern matching exercise against the clock to either find specified code segments or connect circuits against the clock. A big improvement from the "frogger" recreations in the previous installment.

Only a short way into the game, I can tell this is going to be a fun ride. Although I know the ending will of course be a setup for the already announced final episode in the trilogy, it will be a great time getting there, even if the conclusion won't really be that. But, of course, when that does come, you'll have an even greater wealth of history and decisions to fold into the final chapter.

Mass Effect 2 Reviews Are In

Mass Effect 2 releases to general audiences today, and the reviews are in. Overwhelmingly they are glowing, from Gamespot's 9.0 Editor's Choice, to an even higher IGN review, and Kotaku has many good things to say as well.

I was never really doubting the fate of the game, as it was in good hands, and it's not like it's something they've never done before. But it seems like they've delivered above and beyond. We've had a large number of sequels in the past year, making it seem like new franchises are taking a back seat to teams cruising on previous successes. But if the polished and sprawling games like Assassin's Creed II and Mass Effect II are what we get instead of brand-new worlds, I think I'm okay with that.

Hopefully my PC and mostly DRM-less game is waiting for me at the shop this morning.

Mass Effect 2 Preordered

Lots of buzz around Mass Effect 2, and of course it's coming out next week, very much looking forward to it. The first chapter was one of my favorites from 2008. I hope they don't mess it up too badly by being Modern Warfare in Space. I think we'll be fine, though. They chattered endlessly that DA:O was going to be so dark and scary awful that you'd cry yourself to sleep -- or just not sleep. And see how that turned out? I only virtually killed one child through the course of the game. Hardly gritty noir stuff there. So I don't think they'll ruin Mass Effect too badly.

Over the weekend, I put my money down and reserved a disk-based copy. I purchased Dragon Age over the Internets, but I've learned my lesson about doing that with EA games. They destroy you on the DRM. DA:O was rendered unplayable after literally every patch, and eventually I had to do things that broke the EULA just to play it. So I'll be getting a hard copy and doing DRM like it's 1995 -- with a disk check. It would be pretty cool if they got you to bust out the manual and look up the eighth word on the fifth line of page 22, but I doubt it will happen.

The Soldier of Mass Effect 2

This guy's voice annoys me, but the demo of what the Soldier class can do in Mass Effect 2 really gripped me. I played as a Soldier in my first play around, and loved the assault rifle and pistols. It's probably going to be my route for the second time around, and it's good to see that the tightened up combat in Mass Effect 2 has a place for a dude with a lot of guns.

One Month Left to Mass Effect 2

Less than a month away from Mass Effect 2, and the BioWare crew have been inundating the internets with all sorts of screens, videos, and additional details about the second installment of their epic space RPG.

A new feature from Gamespot talks a little bit about the intro to the game. From the first teaser trailer released around almost a year ago, the fate of Commander Shepherd, "your" character in the game, was in doubt. But it seems that the introduction to Mass Effect 2 will expound upon the inter-game time, and whether Shepherd really is what he seems to be. Or was. In any case, it should be interesting to watch, and I'm looking forward to release.

Possibly most surprising (and hopeful, to some) is that both the PC and Xbox 360 version of the game will be out at the same time. PS3? Nowhere in sight. Seems Sony's platform is getting the PC treatment this time around. Curious that Dragon Age saw a wide release. Although it could be that the widely-reported delay in Dragon Age was due to the PS3, that could be part of BioWare's decision. Since I'm playing it on PC, it's immaterial to me, anyway.

Mass Effect 2 Release Date

Looks like we'll be seeing the second chapter of Mass Effect 2 here in North America on January 26, 2010. Really looking forward to this title. A little concerned about this "dark, gritty" feel we keep hearing about, but hopefully they stick with more of a space epic RPG than a grungy shooter. Only a few months until we find out.

New Mass Effect DLC?

With Mass Effect 2 on the horizon, and Dragon Age and Old Republic in development, you think BioWare has their hands full. Apparently not full enough, as the original Mass Effect may be getting some DLC. In Kojima-style announcing an announcement, only a Twitter post really clues us in. More to come later in the week.

Mass Effect 2 Info Trickling Out

It's been a couple months since the original Mass Effect 2 teaser trailer came out, and since E3 is imminent, there's even more information now starting to come to light.

A new video surfaced with some gameplay details, and the Kotaku crew are pretty excited about it. Mass Effect was so incredibly fun, and if they can expand on the universe, clean up some of the control issues, and establish a greater amount open-world options, the result could be astonishing.

Expect more information as E3 2009 gets into full swing starting June 2.

Mass Effect Main Story Completed

Yesterday evening I completed the main storyline of Mass Effect. The ending was epic, if not completely a setup for the sequels. There were a bunch of great moments leading up to the ending, and several heart-wrenching choices that determined the fate of the lives of many. The level of storytelling in Mass Effect is so high that you honestly feel good or bad depending on the choices that your character makes, and the consequence of those choices are highest near the end of the story.

I'm very much looking to a replay through as a different class, and will probably play more to the renegade rather than paragon behavior, to see how the "dark side" lives. Hopefully by then the downloadable content will be available, as it still can't be downloaded!

But Mass Effect was a blast, and will be worth at least one more playthough.

It's Massive!

It hasn't been Mass Effect that has consumed my time -- well, not completely -- but wedding madness and after-parties with friends. It was an incredible weekend where I saw two dear friends married... But enough of that! On to gaming.

Although Bioware would have you believe Mass Effect is named so because of the technological event that changed the course of human history. I believe it's named for the feeling you get for being crushed underneath the entirety of the content in this game. There are so many side quests, missions, and collectables to pursue while saving the galaxy from annihilation. I've done every single one.

The dialog system within Mass Effect nearly allows a true role-playing experience, where you can behave just how you think your character should. While choices are often only limited to good guy, bad guy, or middle of the road, it's the sum of choices that make your character who he or she is. I've been playing a real stand-up guy, trying to solve things peacefully and without conflict where necessary, and that's been pretty fun. The Charm attribute opens additional dialogs that often serve to defuse situations, making them highly attractive to my play style.

I'm not really sure how far into the game I am at this point; I've taken my time and enjoyed exploration. This could be the most expansive and enjoyable video game RPG experience I've ever played.

Mass Effect Has Arrived!

I've just gotten started with the epic that is Mass Effect, but I have started it. And it sure has that wow factor. There are so many times I've just stared at the game with my mouth open, enjoying the view.

The PC refinements are much appreciated. The new inventory system is a leap beyond the one on the 360. The controls are tightened, and the changes allow you to have much more delicate and easy control over your party.

Everything else is the same. The terrific voice acting, the fantastic environments, innovative dialogs, and solid shooter elements make for a game that is much more than the sum of its parts. I can only thank myself for not watching buddies play on the 360 so nothing was given away in respect to the story's resolution.

I'm a little disappointed, however, that the downloadable content, promised to PC users free of charge, is not yet available. Lucky (or maybe unlucky) for me, I will hardly have time to play the game for the rest of the week, giving the BioWare crew time to get it all ready for me after this weekend's festivities.

Mass Effect for PC Released

The PC version of Mass Effect released today. From what I've read, the improvements to the PC conversion are subtle but impressive, and prove to be a superior version to the one available on the 360. I hope to get my hands on it soon, and will have some likely violent and adult screen shots to peruse.

Mass Effect for PC -- Improvements

Gamespot reports the upcoming PC version of Mass Effect will come with many control-related improvements, as I predicted. The inventory system is revamped to allow for sorts and groupings, the Mako scout craft will have tightened control, and the tested mouse-and-keyboard setup allows for greater flexibility when controlling your characters.

Additional PC goodness includes the initial downloadable content free with the PC Mass Effect that XBox users had to pay for. Additionally, improved hardware on the PC means faster load times and likely better graphics for those with modern graphics cards.

I'm very much looking forward to the PC release of Mass Effect, available May 27th.